Zakspeed 891 Explained

Car Name:Zakspeed 891
Category:Formula One
Constructor:Zakspeed
Designer:Gustav Brunner
Predecessor:881
Team:West Zakspeed Racing
Drivers:34. Bernd Schneider
35. Aguri Suzuki
Technical Ref:[1]
Chassis:Carbon fibre and Kevlar Monocoque
Front Suspension:Double wishbones, push-rod operated shock absorbers
Rear Suspension:Double wishbones, push-rod operated shock absorbers
Wheelbase:2820NaN
Track:Front: 1800NaN
Rear: 1650NaN
Engine Name:Yamaha OX88,
Capacity:34981NaN1,
Configuration:75° V8,
Turbo/Na:NA,
Engine Position:mid-engine, longitudinally mounted
Gearbox Name:Zakspeed
Gears:6-speed
Type:manual
Fuel:Castrol
Tyres:Pirelli
Debut:1989 Brazilian Grand Prix
Last Event:1989 Japanese Grand Prix
Races:2
Wins:0
Cons Champ:0
Drivers Champ:0
Poles:0
Fastest Laps:0

The Zakspeed 891 was a Formula One car for the season run by the German Zakspeed team. Its drivers were German Bernd Schneider in his second year with the team and F1 rookie Aguri Suzuki from Japan. The car was powered by F1 newcomer Yamaha who had produced the OX88 V8 engine for exclusive use by Zakspeed in Formula One.

Due to neither Schneider nor his team mate Piercarlo Ghinzani scoring any points in the 881, the team was forced into pre-qualifying in order to be able to try to qualify for a race. While Schneider was able to qualify his car 25th for the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix, it would prove to be a false hope with the German only able to pre-qualify and qualify once more, at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix. Suzuki never made it past pre-qualifying at any of the 16 rounds during the season.

Most of this was attributed to what was found to be a very underpowered Yamaha engine. Late in the season following another double failure to pre-qualify at the Spanish Grand Prix, the Yamaha OX88 V8 was reported to be producing only 5600NaN0.[2] This compared badly to the base 6200NaN0 of the customer Ford Cosworth and Judd V8s and the Lamborghini V12 being used by most of the other teams. It was also unfavorable in comparison to the 6500NaN0 - 7000NaN0 bhp of the top four engines, the V10's of Honda (McLaren) and Renault (Williams), the Ferrari V12, and the Ford V8 (Benetton). This made Schneider qualifying 21st for the following race in Japan all the more impressive.

The 891 was the last Formula One car to be produced by Zakspeed as the team pulled out of Grand Prix racing following the 1989 season. Yamaha also pulled out of Formula One at the end of the year, but would return with the Brabham team in .

Complete Formula One results

(key)

YearTeamEngineTyresDrivers12345678910111213141516Pts.WCC
West Zakspeed RacingYamaha OX88
V8
BRASMRMONMEXUSACANFRAGBRGERHUNBELITAPORESPJPNAUS0NC
Bernd SchneiderRetDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQRetDNPQ
Aguri SuzukiDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQDNPQ

References

Books

Notes and References

  1. Web site: STATS F1 • Zakspeed 891 . Statsf1.com . 2010-08-23.
  2. http://www.statsf1.com/es/moteur-yamaha.aspx StatsF1 - Yamaha OX88